4 February 2011
Nick goes downhill - but not in his studies
Star student athlete Nick McKelvey is currently representing the University of Dundee at the World University Championships in Turkey.
Alpine skier Nick (19), originally from Hillsborough in Northern Ireland, is one of 12 current students to receive a scholarship from Dundee University Sport to enable him to combine his training and studies.
His first race, the Giant Slalom, will be held today (Friday), and he will also take part in the Slalom event on Sunday.
He will then return to Dundee for a few days before flying out to Germany to represent Ireland in the World Championships, where he will go up against the elite of international skiing in both events.
Nick, a first-year History student, said he was delighted with how the season had gone so far and that he had been building towards this for some time.
'My involvement in skiing really came from my family,' he explained. 'Both my parents were keen skiers and my brothers both raced, so I guess it was a given that I would ski as well. I learnt to ski around the age of three on the dry ski slope not far from my home but didn’t compete in a proper snow race until I was 13.
'After finishing school, I took a year out and set myself a goal for the season of qualifying to represent Ireland at the World Championships. It was during this training period when the Snowsports Association of Ireland mentioned the idea of the University games to me. I just kept working towards my original goals and luckily I achieved them and got selected for both events.
'Obviously achieving qualification and being selected for the World Championships is something that I was really pleased with. During the summer I picked up some good results in the indoor races, but these are relatively small events compared to many of the races I compete in throughout the winter season in Europe.
'The standard is fairly high out here. A lot of guys are on full time programmes and have been for years, and there are some really good racers who have just left full time programmes and gone to university. Hopefully I can get some good results although I prefer to just think about getting down the hill as quickly as possible.
'Unfortunately I've been sick over the past few days, the result of something I ate I think, and so that hasn't been ideal preparation.'
The last of Nick’s events takes place on Sunday, ahead of the closing ceremony. He will barely have time to unpack his skis when he returns to Dundee, however, as he will be flying out to Garmisch in Germany for the World Championships on the 13th February.
Nick was one of 12 athletes selected from over 50 applications for individual Dundee University Sport Scholarships this year. The scholarship is designed to help students to develop and compete at the highest level possible whilst studying for a degree.
Nick and his fellow scholars represent 11 sports, while Team Scholarships were also awarded to sides who had demonstrated a high level of commitment and potential to perform well for the University, which this year are men’s hockey and women’s volleyball.
He says that being successful in his scholarship application has helped him to improve his skiing and move on to the next level.
'The Dundee University Sport Scholarship has been really good over the last couple of months,' he said. 'I've received support and advice about taking time off for training, and the University's Institute for Sport and Exercise have been willing to help in any way they can.
'They also made it possible for me to attend these games as the scholarship programme was able to source some funding for me to cover a decent chunk of the bill and allow me to compete.'
Notes to editors:
Dundee University Sport is the partnership between ISE and Dundee University Sports Union.
They have joined forces to maximise the strengths of each partner in enhancing the provision of sport for students and staff.
The Sports Union represents some 51 member and associate clubs, ranging from archery to volleyball. Several University teams have enjoyed success at a national level in recent years, and many sportsmen and women from the University have gone on to represent their country and achieve individual glory in their chosen field.
The leading-edge facilities and expertise available has seen ISE designated as an accredited training venue for both the 2012 Olympics and 2014 Commonwealth Games.
After a £4million extension in 2007, ISE can boast the most extensive range of sport and exercise facilities in Tayside, including several fitness studios, specialist facilities for a range of sports, and a regional strength performance centre (SPC).
For media enquiries contact:
Grant Hill
Press Officer
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384768
E-MAIL: g.hill@dundee.ac.uk
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